OUR ANGEL ON EARTH, NOW OUR ANGEL IN HEAVEN

Wendy Nicole Dickens McCammon
August 31, 1976 - March 25, 1998
Her heart was pure, but evil touched her..
I want to tell you about murder.
You think it cannot touch your life?
Well, my friend.. Let me tell you, no one is safe from it!

http://www.angelfire.com/in2/Angel2/index.html

It can happen to you, it can happen to your family.

It can happen to your friends.

Murder will change your life forever..

It crept into my life like a thief early one morning. Stealing something precious from me, my 21-year-old child.

Wendy was born on August 31, 1976. Her father and I had been married one month shy of four years. I had two miscarriages before her birth. Needless to say, Wendy was a much-wanted baby!

Where we lived, she did not have any children her age to play with. Because of this, Wendy acted older, than most children did. I was her playmate at this time. She and I would play Barbies for hours.
The baby was growing into a lovely little girl.

When she was five, her father and I divorced. This upset my child very much. It was something she would never get over.

I remarried when Wendy was seven. When she was nine, she became a big sister, to a baby boy. Then when she was twelve, I had a baby girl. She thought her sister was a live Barbie doll to dress up and play with.

The years flew by too quickly; Wendy came to me and wanted to get married to a man named Travis. Little did she know that he would be a control freak and an abusive husband. (I did not know this until after she was murdered.) They had a baby. Wendy was so proud of her son, Aaron. When Aaron was 16 months old, they had another baby, a brother for Aaron. Wendy let me name this baby. I named him Alex.

Travis went into the service when she was pregnant with Alex. When Alex was just a few weeks old, Wendy left her husband. She did not want the babies brought up in that environment.

Travis could not stand the thought, of not knowing where his wife was. He got out of the service on an emergency leave. He found Wendy. He tried talking her into coming back to him. She refused. While separated, he met a girl, named Ame.

Wendy had befriended this girl in the eighth or ninth grade. Wendy always found good in everyone. Even if no one else could see it. She would look deep and find something of value in a person.

Travis and Ame had an affair. She became pregnant with his child. She moved in with him. Wendy had heard over the years that Ame had been using drugs. She was concerned for this unborn child. She voiced it to several people.

Wendy would still take the babies over to see Travis' sister. His sister lived next door to Travis and Ame. On one of the many times that Wendy was there, Travis would come over. While there, he would try to talk Wendy into coming back home to him. After many months, she decided she would try to make their marriage work, one more time. She hated the thought of her babies not having both parents together.

When Travis told this to Ame, she flew into a rage. While he was at work the following Saturday morning, she had her mother come get their things and move them into her family's extra trailer on the family property.

Travis came home that afternoon. He found all of his things gone. He was upset over this. He went to this trailer, where Ame moved all their stuff. Ame was there; she was waiting for him. She heard his knock and said, "Come in." He walked in. He found her sitting on the sofa. On each side of her, there where two knives, one for each hand. He told her, "I just want to get my things." She told him, "If you touch anything in this trailer, I will kill this unborn baby and myself." He left without taking anything.

Travis went to his sister's home. He told Wendy, his sister and her husband what happened. The next day, his brother in law went to get Travis' things.

Ame opened the door, and started screaming at him. "I swear, I'm gonna kill that Wendy. I'm gonna kill that Bitch someday."

She let him have Travis' things. He left and did not take the warning serious, she had just given him.

Two weeks before this, before Wendy and Travis had reconciled, I took Wendy to Travis' to get some of the babies' clothes. Travis came out to the truck. While Travis was screaming at Wendy, Ame came running out and jumped off the porch and then she started in on Wendy. Ame kept trying to get Wendy to get out of the truck. Ame kept cussing and screaming at Wendy. I said, "Wendy don't say anything to her." She said, "Mother, I'm not."

Two days later, after Wendy got off work, she went to pick Aaron up, at a friend's house (Alex was at her dad's house). While there, Ame came over. She was in premature labor. She was crying. She wanted her mother or grandmother. Wendy told her, "Go lay down. I will try to locate them." When she could not, Wendy placed a call to 911. She had them send an ambulance. They took Ame to the hospital. They stopped her labor.

Wendy and Travis seem to be making a go of their marriage this time. Wendy was worried about Ame's unborn child. She was concerned Ame would get back on drugs. She voiced her concern to Travis. They decided to bring Ame into their home to live. This way, Wendy could keep an eye on Ame and the unborn child.

She came to stay on Sunday night, March 22. (If only Wendy had discussed this with me at first!) As I told you earlier, Wendy did not see evil in anyone.

However, EVIL ~~> was all around my child.

I was at work, March 25; I received a call from Wendy's stepmother. She said, "Ame called me and said, Wendy has left, leaving Aaron there." (Alex was with Wendy's dad and stepmother. I knew my child; I knew she could never ever leave her children behind.

A MOTHER'S WORSE NIGHTMARE IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE

I knew by that first night that my child was dead. I could not voice my thoughts to anyone. I was too afraid if I did, it would become a reality! Finally, I decided to file a missing person's report on Wendy after sharing my fears with my close friend, Mary. By then; Wendy had been missing for eight days.

On the Ninth day, the sheriff's office received a call about a burned out car, in the woods. I received the message later that evening, to call a number. They had some information about Wendy.

This police officer told me the sheriff's office had found her car. He told me, "It had been burned in the woods. I asked, "Where's Wendy's body?" His reply was, "Ma'am, there is no body. Your daughter probably set her own car on fire." I told him, "No, she didn't. My child would never have left her children behind!! Nor, would she go this long without calling me!"

This man and I argued about 30 minutes. I begged him to send an officer out to search her car again and to search the woods; where they had found her car. He refused. Telling me instead, "She's not dead." Finally, I screamed, "Where was the car found?" He did not know. I asked, "Where is her car now?" He did not know. I asked, "Who does know?" He said, "The sheriff's office would know." This came to his desk because Wendy was living in the city limits when she disappeared.

I called the sheriff's office. The dispatcher told me where her car had been located. The dispatcher also told me the name of the wrecker service that towed it.

I called the wrecker company. I asked, "Would it be all right to come look at the burned out car that your company towed this afternoon?" The lady that answered the phone said, "Yes."

First, I went to try to find where her car had been burned in the woods. I found the road, but I could not tell which drive to turn in to. It was around 8 P.M. I went to the wrecker company. I met two boys working on a car. I asked them, "Where's the car that you towed this afternoon? The burned out one." He said, "Ma'am follow me." I did. I walked right passed it. He said, "Ma'am, this is it." I said, "No, this can't be." A friend was over my house, when I talked to the police officer. She decided to come with me. I asked her, "Go get my purse, it has Wendy's V.I.N. in it."

This is still hard for me to think about much less put it in writing..

Before she came back, my flashlight had picked up something in the trunk. I was standing at the driver's door. I could see all the way through to the trunk. I saw something that will forever haunt my mind. The image of my child's remains.

There was not much left of my child. I saw her spine, 4 or 5 ribs, and her pelvic bone. I thought I would lose my mind. My mind tried to shut down. It was taking me to a safe place. I wanted to go, I wanted it so bad. Somewhere, anywhere, I did not have to remember what I just saw. However, some voice inside of me, kept telling me. "Don't go there, you won't come back!" This did not seem like a bad idea to me.

This same voice kept telling me, "Stay here with me." You have two other children and 2 grandbabies that need you." I fought hard to stay here. (Next to finding my child murdered.) This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

I was screaming, "My child is in the trunk of her car!!!! Get the police!!" Soon the whole wrecker yard was full of the city police and the sheriff's detectives.

The next morning, Ame Renae Bumpous confessed to murdering my child. In her signed confession, she stated, that on March 25, 1998, at about 6 AM, "Wendy got Travis off to work. I told Wendy, Go back to bed. I will watch Aaron." (Wendy had confided in my sister, that she was pregnant again. She wanted a baby girl! Travis told me later, "Wendy told me, she was pregnant again." She did not have time to confirm this, before Ame murdered her) Wendy went back to bed. As my child slept in her own bed, the murderer crept into her room. She hit Wendy in the head with a fire extinguisher knocking her out of her bed. Ame stated, "Wendy crawled around on her hands and knees looking for a way out." Ame stated, "I ran outside and got Wendy's car. I backed it up to the backdoor. I opened the trunk. I helped Wendy into the trunk of her own car. I went back inside and dressed Aaron. Me and Aaron drove around for about two hours." Ame stated, "I was looking for a place to dump Wendy's body. I could hear Wendy moaning all this time."

Ame stated, "I looked at the gas hand. The car was almost out of gas. I then thought of the place where I used to go to party and do drugs."

Ame stated, "I was going to dump Wendy's body in the woods. But I got the car stuck in a mud hole. I got Aaron out of his car seat. We left walking down the road. When we reached the highway, I got us a ride to my parents house."

She stated, "I paged Travis on his pager." Travis took off work and went to Ame's parents house. Once there, she told him, "Wendy left. She dropped Aaron and me out on the highway."

He took Aaron and Ame back to his and Wendy's home. This woman not only stole my child's life once. She stole Wendy's life twice. She wanted to become Wendy. She tried stepping into Wendy's shoes. Little did she know her feet were too big..

My beautiful Angel left so many people that loved her. At the time of Wendy's murder, she left two young babies. Aaron was 2 1/2 years old. Alex turned 1-year-old, thirty-one days before his Mother was murdered. He will never remember the love she had for him. We hope Aaron will. Wendy had taught Aaron all of his colors. He could count to ten. She was teaching Aaron his alphabets.

The woman at the wrecker company was someone I knew from years ago. She came to Wendy's funeral. She said, "Her daughter and Wendy were good friends in school. She could not be here today. She is pregnant and I did not think it was a good idea." I agreed. She asked her daughter, "Tell me something about Wendy." She said, "Mamma, when you thought of Wendy you thought of a Rose." I lost it then. Tears started running uncontrollable down my face. To me, a Rose is perfect... "That was my daughter, a Rose"

Now, do you understand?

MURDER can happened to you, to your love ones, to people you know. It does not just take the evil ones. It takes the GOOD ones too.

Murder does not care what color your skin is. Murder does not care how much money you have in the bank. Murder does not care if you are rich or poor. Murder can and will strike anywhere! As you read Wendy's life story, another person has just been murdered. Murder is happening in the United States, every 15 minutes.

Remember..

Wendy was home in her own bed sleeping as the murder took place.

She thought she could trust this woman.

We have to stop slapping these murderers on the hands. We NEED TOUGHER LAWS!! Then and only then, WE WILL STOP THE MURDERS!

While Ame was in jail waiting trial for Wendy's murder, she gave birth to her son. A few months later, she was released on bond. Fate played a cruel joke on me. She was released just a couple weeks before my child's birthday. The first of many long birthdays I will not be able to celebrate with her.

Something happened she was sent back to jail to wait for her trial. Then, the cruel Fate stepped in again. We had to go through another trial. The first one was a hung jury. She was again released on bond. This was right before Thanksgiving, (1998)

While out this time, she met a man. She became pregnant with his child. We went to trial again. This one was declared a mistrial. New evidence had come to light.

Once again, we went to trial. This time, Ame shocked everyone. She wanted to plea! She knew the new evidence that was being brought into this trial was going to get her a guilty sentence. She had confided to a Sheriff's deputy she had murdered Wendy. At this trial, this woman was going to take the stand.

The DA's office decided to accept this plea. I ended up liking the idea. No appeals. If the jury had came back with a guilty sentence. She could have been out on bond, up to the next TEN YEARS. Until she exhausted her appeals. No early parole. There is not anything a jury could have brought back to sentenced her, that would have ever been enough! She took the 25 years. She can get out in 22 years. Pray that I am still alive to fight for her to stay there for the remaining time she has left to serve.

I heard Ame's baby was due Oct. 31, 1999. "Another child born in prison". I read in our local paper the other day, she and other prisoners will at least get to have an overnight visit with their children, up to four times a year. They can stay on the grounds in an Apartment with her.

I read it was unhealthy for a child to be without his mother during the first few years of his/her lives.
Isn't it nice, all the bleeding hearts in this world, to think of the murderers and their families?! What about the victims that were murdered? What about their children? The victim's children have the same rights as the murderer's children? Will someone give them their rights? Their mommy or daddy back! The murderer made the choice. It was a bad choice, but it was their choice. Not the victims! Someone, please tell me why the murdered victims and their families are being punished????

Wendy's children and all the murdered victim's children, ARE THE REAL VICTIMS!

Please sign the guestbook below. When the boys are older, I want them to read all the supportive and caring messages, people left us during this difficult time.

I just received the dreaded phone call from Mississippi Department of Corrections. Inmate R8842 Bumpous will be release on Friday, August 12, 2011. This makes her spending about 47% of the time she plead to spend in prison. 25 years for murder was never enough.. Now, she has spent on 12 years and 3 months. Only in America do they take murder so lightly. No justice for the victims really. Today, I feel like the first few weeks after finding Wendy's cremated remains. My heart and soul is screaming out for my child. Wendy, you will always be with me. I carry you in my heart and soul daily..

UPDATE

I have recently learned Wendy's murderer will get out early due to an error by the Mississippi Legislators, not including manslaughter, in with violence crimes. This means anyone that is convicted of manslaughter instead of murder, either by a jury or plea bargain is eligible for the early release, through the trustee program.

I was promised this animal would not be eligible for release until the year 2022 or 2023 serving under the 85% law. Actually, the murderers convicted under manslaughter is serving about 47%. Ame Renae Bumpous will be getting out sometime around 2011 or 2012. Under manslaughter there is no parole, she and others convicted or took a plea bargain will walk out free.

Please help to change this stupid law and make it retro! If you have family and/or friends that live in the state of Mississippi, please email them and asked that they write their legislators, and please, please asked them when writing about this law to make it retro.

By the way, Ame was made a trustee the day she walked into prison. Isn't that a joke? It is sad, but she is not the only one the Mississippi Department of Corrections hands out a trustee status too. Most all inmates that have plead or convicted of manslaughter is given this privilege, the day they enter into the prison system.

Please help to change this law and keep these murderers in prison where they belong!! Thanks..

Please visit Dominique Dunne's homepage. This beautiful young woman was also murdered by someone she thought she could trust..
Dominique

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